Handhole cover



July 23, 19.29. J. BARKER HANDHOLE COVER Filed Nov. 27, 1925 A W 2 my m4 Patented July 23, 1929.

UNITED STATES HARRY J. BARKER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

HANDHOLE COVER.

Application filed November 27, 1925. Serial No. 71,654.

This invention relates to what are ordinarily called cases in the beverage industry, having hand holes for ready handling, and pertains particularly to an improved form of inside hand-hole cover. A hand hole cover is a device for excluding light, cold and damp from the openings in the ends of a case usually provided to afford a hold for the hands in lifting or handling the case. The purpose of such an attachment is to protect the bottled liquids within the case, and more especially those beverages which are affected by the deteriorating influence of light.

It is generally known that beer and other beverages packaged in light or uncolored bottles, when exposed to light, even through the hand holes in the ends of a case, will deteriorate in taste and flavor, become cloudy, and acquire, in the instance of beer, a disagreeable odor known among brewers as skunky. Since light bottles have come into general use, much beverage material has been spoiled by light, in transportation or shipping, as well as while kept in the stock of retailers and consumers.

Independent of special constructions for cases, which have not found favor and which have not come into general use because of the added weight and expense incident thereto, the only mode of excluding light from the hand holes of beverage cases, so far as 1 am aware, which has been successful, is illustrated in patent numbered 970,237 issued September 13, 1910, to G. C. Kerkow, deceased. The device of Kerkow was a distinct advance in the art, but the present invention is an improvement thereover conceived as a result of long experimentation with and production thereof.

In view of the foregoing, the object of my invention is to provide a very simple, cheap and practicable attachment along the line disclosed by Kerkow, and which can be made and furnished in quantities at no increase of expense over Kerkows device, and which can be instantly applied as an inside hand hole cover to the standard or ordinary beverage cases now in universal use without the use of nails or other separated attaching elements. Integral attaching means are provided for the cover and an unique arrangement had for close nesting of the articles, without damage or distortion.

In the accompanying drawings, which are to be taken as a part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the end portion of an ordinary beverage case, showing my improved attachment or hand hole cover applied thereto, and the device provided for attaching such hand hole cover.

Figure 2 is an inside view of a fragment of the head of a case, with the attachment ap plied thereto;

Figure 3 is a perspective View of the device; anc

Figure 4 is an elevation of a plurality of covers and illustrates the compactness with which they may be nested.

Like reference characters are used to indicate similar parts in the drawing and in the specification which follows.

In the drawings, the numeral 10 denotes a fragmentary portion of one of the ends of a shipping case, and 11 the conventional slotlike opening provided in the end for inserting the hand to lift the case.

My improved attachment or hand hole cover is designated 12, and comprises a dishlike plate stamped to conform to the inserted fingers and having a marginal flange 13. Said attachment is applied to a case 10 with its hollow or concave side facing the hand hole 11, and with its marginal flange 13 affixed to the inner surface of the head of case 10 by means later to be described.

The said flange 13 is shown provided with different series of prongs, 14 and 15, which take the place of the fastening tacks, nails, screws, rivets, or other attaching devices.

The attachment 12 is so applied as to provide a hollow chambered cover behind and above the hand hole 11, so as to permit the hand to enter and obtain the usual firm grip in the hand hole 11, the same as if the cover 12 were not attached, as shown in Figure 1. Said cover 12 accommodates the knuckles and fingers inside the case. Its deepest portion is above the hand hole 11 where the greatest amount of room is desired.

In other Words, when the cover 12 is aflixed on the inside of the case 10, the bottom and side portions of the marginal flange 13 of member 12 surrounds the bottom and side edges of a hand hole 11, while the upper portion of the flange 13 extends to or toward the top of the case 10 and is aflixed thereto at a distance above the hand hole 11.

The attachment of the cover 12 is secured without modifying, in any manner, the material of a standard wooden case, as may be readily understood. The cover 12 is not of formed from other suitable material.

All

In the drawing, the prongs 14 are adjacent the. top of the cover 12 and comprise relatively large portions of material formed from flange 13. Said prongs 1 1 are articulated, generally, until almost at right angles to the material of said flange 18.

Shown as in substantial parallelism and at the bottom of flange 13, are the prongs 15. Size, number and arrangement are unimportant details. In forming the prongs 14: and 15 from the material of flange 13, such material is bent inwardly or outwardly as desired. The material of said prongs during the production, should be articulated until substantially at a right angle to flange 13.

Longitudinal grooving or shaping of the prongs 14- and 15 may be had when desired. This adds considerable strength. When the prongs 14 and 15, are slightly diverging, as will be later explained, any number 01' covers 12 may be closely nested, one upon another, for convenience in packing, shipping and storing, as shown in Figure 4:.

The dished shape of the cup or depressed portion of the cover 12 is 01 an increasing depth as one side is approached, and in placing the device in a case 10, it is proper to place the part 01 greatest depth of the cup adjacent the top of box 10 and above the top of hand hole 11.

lVhen a second cover 12 is nested in the first of said covers, the body thereof seats itself in the corresponding portion of the first cover, principally because of the rounded walls of the cupv portion and the fact that the bottom is inclined. Insertion is made obliquely or from the shallow side toward the deep side.

Because of its dished shape and inclined wall, just referred to, the second cover 12 may be pressed firmly against the first cover and snugly seat itsell therein. In the nesting operation, the prongs 14C of the second cover impinge the corresponding prongs 1 1 upon the first cover 12. Pressing the flange 13 downwardly after such impingement, causes the prongs '15 to diverge outwardly instead of remaining perpendicular to saidflange, as generally produced inthe process of manufacture. WVhen prongs 1st of the upper cover 12 impinge prongs 15 upon lower cover 12, there is relatively little disturbance of the alignment of the prongs 1 1, for the registrationof the covers '12, one within another, for nesting, depends almost entirely upon the shape of the depressed section, 01 the cover 12. The principal bearing point is the upper wall of the dished portion of said cover 12.

dished portion of cup 12,-is provided.

The divergence of prongs 15 away from prongs let as an incident to nesting covers 12, facilitates such nesting and is a material aid to ready driving of cover 12 into position.

To attach a cover made in accord with the invention to a standard beverage case, a metal driver 16, shown in Figure 1, and adapted to engage the flange 13 without contact with the It must be remembered that the cover 12 must be attached by an oblique blow, as clearly illustrated in said Figure 1. A mechanic can not obtain a full and direct swing of a maul or mallet 1'? because of the proximity of the ends of a case 10.

lVhen being attached, the cover 12 is placed in proper position about hole 11. The metal driver is placed upon the cover 12' With a maul or mallet 17, or other driving tool, a single blow is struck upon the metal driver 16. Such blow is ordinarily suliicient to seat cover 12.

Because the direction of the blow driving home the cover 12 is necessarily oblique, it has been found convenient. to make the prongs 11 larger and of greater depth than prongs 15. This is not necessary, however. The divergence of prongs 1 1 and 15 facilitates a direct drive home of the cover 12 in view of the oblique direction 01 the force employed upon maul or mallet 17. In Figure 2, the effect of an oblique blow is disclosed. Prongs 15 penetrate their whole length while prongs 1 1 penetrate not quite the whole oi? their length. The portion 14 of prongs 141, which tends to flatten out as a result of such oblique blo'w is shown in Figure 2. Cover 12 is held in position by prongs 1 1 and 15, in the form of the device shown, with the penetration of the two series of prongs being substantially the same throughout in view of the oblique :torce driving the covers 12 home.

It will be seen that the cover may be manufactured cheaply, as by stamping from sheetmetal, and is easily affixed to wooden cases, so that neither the cost nor the weight ofthe cases are increased by the attachment except in a negligible degree. The device is strong and durable and will outlast the life of the ordinary wooden cases themselves. In addition to excluding light, while yet allowing the usual facility for entering the hand and lifting the case, the attachment also serves for excluding dampness and cold, A further utility is the complete protection to the lingers against contact with broken glass in the event of breakage of bottles contained in the case.

I claim:

1. A cover for the hand hole of a beverage shipping case comprising a dished member having a marginal flange, the material of said flange being cut and articulated to provide a plurality of slightly divergent case engaging prongs adapted to be inserted into the material of such a case for attachment thereto and for nested relation with corresponding covers owing to the registry of the prongs.

2. A cover for the hand hole of a beverage shipping case comprising a dished member having a marginal flange, the material of said flange being cut and articulated to provide a plurality of slightly divergent case engaging prongs to be inserted into the mate rial of such a case for attachment thereto, and in which said prongs are arranged in series, the prongs in each series being of unequal length and being adapted to penetrate equal distances under the force of an obli ue blow.

3. A cover for the hand hole of a beverage shipping case comprising a dished member having a marginal flange, the material of said flange being cut and articulated to provide a plurality of slightly divergent case engaging prongs to be inserted into the material of such a case for attachment thereto, and in which said prongs are articulated until slightly divergent, the prongs at one side of the cover being staggeredly arranged and of greater depth and size than the prongs at the other side thereof and disposed in parallel relation.

4. A cover for hand holes in beverage cases comprising a dished vessel having top and bottom flange sections, the material of said top flange section being punched to provide a plurality of staggeredly arranged prongs, and the material of said bottom flange being punched to provide a number of prongs ar ranged in substantial parallelism, the articulation of said prongs providing a slight divergency between said series of prongs to facilitate fastening to a beverage case and to aid nesting of the covers without distortion.

5. A cover for a hand hole in a beverage case comprising a dished vessel having top and bottom flange sections, the material of said top flange section being cut to provide a plurality of staggeredly arranged prongs, and the material of said bottom flange being cut to provide a number of prongs arranged in substantial parallelism, said prongs being articulated to provide a slight divergency between the said two series thereof to facilitate fastening of said cover to a beverage case and to aid nesting of a plurality of covers without distortion, the dished portion of said cover being shaped to provide an unequally depressed cup, one cup being adapted to nest in another as an incident to forcing registry of the prongs therein with the correspond ing prongs of a next succeeding cover whereby to impart and to maintain a divergency between the said top and bottom series of prongs.

HARRY J. BARKER. 

